A Short Study of Hebrews 4:3
“For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
(Hebrews 4:3)
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“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”
(Hebrews 4:9-10)
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Every sinner who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ keeps the sabbath by faith, by entering into his rest.
“For we which have believed do enter into rest…There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”
We keep the sabbath of faith, a spiritual sabbath, not a carnal one.
We rest in Christ, trusting his finished work, by faith entering into his rest.
The believer’s life is a perpetual keeping of the sabbath. None of us keeps it perfectly. Our best faith in this world is still unbelief. But we do keep this blessed sabbath rest sincerely, ever looking to Christ, ever coming to Christ, ever resting in Christ.
As the legal sabbath of the Old Testament was a ceremonial picture of both the rest and consecration of true faith, the sabbath we keep is a sabbath of rest and consecration to God by faith in Christ.
Rest
Our all glorious Christ gives rest to every sinner who comes to him in faith.
He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
“I heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Come unto me and rest,
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon my breast.’
I came to Jesus as I was – Weary, and worn, and sad:
I found in Him a resting place, And He has made me glad!”
The Lord Jesus Christ has given and continually gives us rest. In Christ we have the rest of complete pardon (Isaiah 45:22; Ephesians 1:6), perfect reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:20-21), absolute security (John 10:27-30; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24), and special providence (Romans 8:28).
Consecration
As the ceremonial sabbath portrayed a strict, universal consecration to God, so this blessed sabbath of faith involves the perpetual consecration of ourselves to our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29-30). Taking his yoke, believers find rest.
We keep the sabbath of faith when we willfully, deliberately take the yoke of Christ.
If you would keep the sabbath, it involves much, much more than living in religious austerity one day a week. To keep the sabbath is to bow to Christ’s dominion as Lord, willingly, learning of him what to believe, how to live, what to do, and how to honor God. To keep the sabbath is to bow to his will.
How can a troubled, weary, heavy laden, tempest tossed sinner obtain this blessed sabbath rest?
I can tell you, both from experience and from the Word of God, there is only one way you can enter into his rest.
You’ve got to quit working!
You have to trust Christ alone for everything!
Jesus is LORD! 
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